- Paperback: 320 pages
- Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd; New edition edition (10 Jun 1994)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0140234004
- ISBN-13: 978-0140234008
- Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.6 x 2.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 17,007 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Review
'This is a brilliant first novel, obscene, funny, opulently written, and, of course, agonisingly moral' Observer 'No one else I can think of writes about contemporary Britain with such elan, energy and witty intelligence. Rejoice' Nicholas Lezard, Guardian 'Written with diabolical gusto and skill' Evening Standard 'Vastly entertaining' The Times
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Nicholas Lezard, Guardian
‘No one else I can think of writes about contemporary Britain with such elan, energy and witty intelligence. Rejoice’
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Even the more negative reviews on here seem to be gushing with praise for Self's writing style, but in all honesty, I didn't see it particularly manifest in this book. True, the sheer volume of interesting vocabulary thrown at the reader is in a sense rewarding, but robbed of its magniloquence, the novel is structurally and stylistically fairly pedestrian, especially compared to Self's other writing. All too often, the voice we hear is not so much that of a taboo-defying prodigy, but of a self-consciously intellectual enfant terrible, with philosophers clumsily barging their way through the prose like wrecking balls, and some episodes (such as the infamous dog-mutilation scene) present seemingly in the service of naked provocation.
Of course, 'My Idea Of Fun' has its moments. Mr Broadhurst/The Fat Controller/Samuel Northcliffe is a gruesomely compelling character, something like the devil as imagined by David Lynch, and his relationship with our narrator Ian is a gloriously warped take on master-student dynamics and the trope of the superhero learning to utilise his powers. The first half of the book then, is genuinely enjoyable. Unfortunately, by the second act the abundant mean-spiritedness shows no signs of abating and the novel descends into an uncomfortable blend of sneering misanthropy and nightmarish surrealism, with any philosophical or social point being mired beneath the stifling cynicism of it all (In the end, Self's shocking revelation seems to be that the excessive materialism in modern society robs us of empathy <gasp!>). An impressive, and occasionally very funny exercise in style and taste it may be, but the novel is so detached from any sense of humanity that the reader cannot help but be left with a distinctly unpleasant aftertaste. I'd recommend 'The Book of Dave' instead, which manages to be funnier, cleverer and scarier, and much more more human than this well-written but unsettling little curiosity.
Of course, 'My Idea Of Fun' has its moments. Mr Broadhurst/The Fat Controller/Samuel Northcliffe is a gruesomely compelling character, something like the devil as imagined by David Lynch, and his relationship with our narrator Ian is a gloriously warped take on master-student dynamics and the trope of the superhero learning to utilise his powers. The first half of the book then, is genuinely enjoyable. Unfortunately, by the second act the abundant mean-spiritedness shows no signs of abating and the novel descends into an uncomfortable blend of sneering misanthropy and nightmarish surrealism, with any philosophical or social point being mired beneath the stifling cynicism of it all (In the end, Self's shocking revelation seems to be that the excessive materialism in modern society robs us of empathy <gasp!>). An impressive, and occasionally very funny exercise in style and taste it may be, but the novel is so detached from any sense of humanity that the reader cannot help but be left with a distinctly unpleasant aftertaste. I'd recommend 'The Book of Dave' instead, which manages to be funnier, cleverer and scarier, and much more more human than this well-written but unsettling little curiosity.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
How I hated this, from the beginning to the end, I hated and disdained it. I forced myself to read it, because I had promised a friend who had called it anti-literature and I wanted to understand where he was coming from. It is degrading and horrible, featuring a man in the grip of insanity. Was The Fat Controller (a figure who follows him from childhood in various guises and `teaches' him how to encompass wickedness and obscenity), a manifestation of his insanity? It is notable that we only begin to know Ian as Ian when he starts seeing the psychiatrist, Gyggle.
Having a limitless vocabulary never served a writer worse. I don't want to give the idea that reading this bilge would be of benefit to anyone. I've read some shocking and desperately nasty books in my time, but this one caps the lot. Descriptions of dog torture, random murder and necrophilia. There is no defence for a book which makes you want to throw up. Okay, I understand, writing about something is not the same as doing it, but writing in order to disgust and alienate? What's the point? And this from a TV pundit and critical commentator?
Having a limitless vocabulary never served a writer worse. I don't want to give the idea that reading this bilge would be of benefit to anyone. I've read some shocking and desperately nasty books in my time, but this one caps the lot. Descriptions of dog torture, random murder and necrophilia. There is no defence for a book which makes you want to throw up. Okay, I understand, writing about something is not the same as doing it, but writing in order to disgust and alienate? What's the point? And this from a TV pundit and critical commentator?
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Will Self's debut novel is a strange and phantasmagorical tale from the perspective of a man with an eidetic memory, whose very will and imagination can shape and bend the world, whose 'idea of fun' is to inflict physical and sexual violence on other human beings. Growing up under the guidance of the mysterious 'Fat Controller', Ian, the central character, leads a disturbed (and disturbing) life which stumbles towards self-knowledge. 'My Idea of Fun' is dense with ideas, which are explored with Self's typical wit, irony and incision, and is particularly impressive as a debut. There are those who will dislike the frank and graphic way Self deals with sex and violence, themes that recur in most of his work, and those who will be disappointed by the almost unfinished nature of his plotting, which at times is very bizarre and often quite disturbing. Self unabashedly sets out to shock placid, middle-class sensibilities and 'My Idea' certainly does that. If you can set the shock value aside, there are insights aplenty to be had into the human condition and the nature of our destructive urges (which, apparently only our placid sensibilities hold in check). 'My Idea' will challenge even the most open-minded reader in a variety of ways, and so fulfils one of the basic purposes of art - but whilst it is an easy book to appreciate, it is a difficult book to enjoy.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Self's Autobiography
Apparently,this was his first published novel. Usually, such works are autobiographical, as this one is. Self describes his childhood as having taken place on the south coast. Read more
Published 24 months ago by Jason Powell
Journey into madness
Ian Wharton is delusional. He believes he has extraordinary powers, and that a character from his childhood, The Fat Controller, has taken over his mind. Read more
Published on 22 Mar 2010 by reader 451
Yum Yum
What I like about Self's literature is his ability to conjure up a unique maelstrom of bizarre plots, surreal characters and colourful grotesque imagery. Read more
Published on 15 Jun 2009 by Room For A View
Not his best...
I really loved Quantity Theory of Insanity by Self but found this book to be rather piecemeal and poorley executed. Almost felt like a story from 2000AD! Read more
Published on 23 Jun 2008 by RoboLab
Changed the way i read!
Most of Will Self's stuff is very similar to the films of David Lynch. The critics will tend to ignore the merits of any story line, in the linear sense, since anything Self does... Read more
Published on 16 Mar 2007 by S. J. Abbott
Magniloquent
This has been my first, perhaps not last, of Will Self's writing. The story is moderate, nothing to bite into really, but where the story fails the language begins. Read more
Published on 2 Mar 2007 by M. A. Littler
do u thinkthesaurus?
I've previously read Dr Mukti (which I've since given to a pychiatric nurse) and How the dead live which were good particularly the latter. Read more
Published on 15 Dec 2006 by Mr. B. L. Zebubble
My Idea of Drivel
I can't give this only one star - I have to admit it has a great deal of cleverness, and it is very slick. Read more
Published on 14 Aug 2006 by Ms. C. M. Elvey
Brief review (because there is no review)
I've read several Will Self books but this takes the biscuit in the "disturbing" stakes. It is a disturbing book and I was disturbed throughout reading it. Read more
Published on 22 July 2006 by Mr. J. Catterall
Damn fine readin'!
well... to begin with DO NOT buy this book if you don't have a dictionary handy... or if easily disgusted... Read more
Published on 24 Jan 2002 by "nancy_boy_405"
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